Canada Soccer has voted unanimously in the favor of approving the Canadian Premier League. This is a huge development in the furthering of Canadian soccer.
It was a historic day for Canadian soccer, as an all-Canadian professional league is a surely a huge step in the right direction. The Canada Soccer website also stated that they have received interest from at least 10 cities in having an expansion organization in the inaugural Canadian Premier League season.
On top of unanimously approving the Canadian Premier League, there was also votes on ownership groups for two cities in the new league. Ownership groups from both Hamilton, Ontario and Winnipeg, Manitoba were there to see their bids accepted to join the CPL upon starting.
Canada Soccer's newest members #CANPL, Hamilton and Winnipeg. pic.twitter.com/nkfuM67wkW
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) May 6, 2017
The most likely home fields of Hamilton and Winnipeg are Tim Hortons Field and Investors Group Field, with stadium capacities of 24,000 and 33,500 respectively. It’s safe to say that these are two fine additions to the start of the league, and they surely won’t be the only cities with impressive expansion bids.
On top of approving by the CPL and the expansion bids of Winnipeg and Hamilton, there was another important piece of business taken care of on the same day. Former Canada Soccer president Victor Montagliani had recently stepped down, making way for new leadership. Canada Soccer elected the 34th president in the nation’s soccer history, Steven Reed.
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Reed was elected to the post after Montagliana was elected as president of CONCACAF. Canada Soccer intends to have their new president finish the remaining three years of the four-year deal that Montagliani was on before accepting his current position.
With all of this exciting news coming on the back of the joint 2026 World Cup bid with the United States and Mexico, there is some seriously exciting times coming in the future for Canadian soccer.